Copy medium receiving tray

ABSTRACT

A copy medium receiving tray for a copy machine is disclosed. The present invention provides a folding type tray attached to the copying machine, wherein the tray has an opening formed therethrough, or wherein the tray is divided into a fixed or stationary tray, and a rotatable tray so as not to cover a discharge opening even when the rotatable tray is folded. The copying operation may be carried out in a safe and convenient manner without blocking sheets of copy medium at the discharge opening of the machine.

United States Patent [1 1 Miyamoto Oct. 14, 1975 COPY MEDIUM RECEIVINGTRAY [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo,

' Japan Oct. 3, 1974 Koichi Miyamoto, Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed:

211 Appl. No.: 511,699

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 5, 1973 Japan 48-112140[52-] US. Cl 355/3 R; 271/213; 355/75; 355/133 {51] Int. Cl. 13651!31/04 [58] Field of Search 355/3, 8, 50, 51, 133, 355/75; 271/64, 213,207

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1964 Lewis et al 271/2073,484,102 12/1969 Von Arland et a1 271/207 3,695,754 10/ 1972 Washio etal. 3,807,726 4/1974 Hope et a1. 271/207 Primary Examiner-Richard A.Wintercorn Attorney, Age'ht, 0r FirmFitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto57 ABSTRACT A copy medium receiving tray for a copy machine isdisclosed. The present invention provides a folding type tray attachedto the copying machine, wherein the tray has an opening formedtherethrough, or wherein the tray is divided into a fixed or stationarytray, and a rotatable tray so as not to cover a discharge opening evenwhen the rotatable tray is folded. The copying operation may be carriedout in a safe and convenient manner without blocking sheets of copymedium at the discharge opening of the machine.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent 0a. 14, 1975 Sheet 1 of 43,912,389

l2 y l FIG. I

PR/OR HF? T U.S. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet2of4 3,912,389

FIG. 4;

P/Q/Of? 2 US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet4 OM 3,912,389

COPY MEDIUM RECEIVING TRAY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention relates to a copy medium receiving tray usedfor apparatus adapted to form an image on a sheet-like copy medium suchas photosensitive paper, ordinary paper, synthetic resin, etc.

2. Description of the Prior Art In copying machines, a tray for thecopying medium generally has a size larger than a maximum size of asheet of paper to be copied by the copying machine, and in most cases,the tray projects from the machine body adjacent to a discharge opening.This requires, therefore, an extra space and interrupts in variousrespects when the copying machine is not in use. For this reason, sometrays are designed so that they may easily be removed from the body whendesired or they may be folded adjacent to the machine. However, in thetray of the removable type, there arises a problem of where to place itafter it is removed and, troubles such as breakage of the tray resultingfrom dropping it on the floor during operation are likely to occur. Inthe tray of the folding type while being attached to the machine,conversely, it possesses advantagessuch that no room to place the trayis required, the tray is convenient to handle and can quickly be set inan operational state as desired.

The simplest form of the' folding type tray as mentioned above is shownin FIGS. 1 and 4, which will be discussed hereinafter. The referencecharacter 1 designates a tray. In a location of the tray 1 close to acopying machine 2 there is provided a shaft 3 about which the tray 1 isrotated. At the time of use, the tray is positioned as indicatedin'dotted line, while at the time not in use, it is positioned asindicated in full line. The mechanism is very simple but this systempresents a problem in that when the tray 1 is folded, an area adjacentto the discharge opening is blocked. If an operator commences copyingwithout taking notice of it, the copy medium discharged through thedischarge opening would be blocked at that area. If the operator thencontinues copying without taking notice of it, this blockage of the copymediums would be carried into the copying machine, resulting in sheetsof paper being wound round the roller within the machine, or resultingin serious troubles such the origination of a fire in the heatingportion of the apparatus for fixing the developed image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide atray for a copying machine which can be folded while being attached tothe machine body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray which will notblock a discharge opening for the folded tray.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tray which is safeand convenient.

That is, according to the present invention, the tray is designed sothat an opening is formed in the rotatable tray, or the tray is dividedinto a fixed tray and a rotative tray so as not to cover a dischargeopening even when the rotatable tray is folded.

From the above, it may be noted, in the copy medium receiving trayaccording to the present invention, that the provision of the openingcan avoid covering the area adjacent to the discharge opening even in astate with the tray folded as described above. Consequently, even if thecopying is carried out without taking notice of the fact that the trayis in its folded condition, blockage does not occur in the vicinity ofthe discharge opening. In the case of small-sized copy medium, sheets ofcopy medium are accumulated on the fixed tray, and the extremity of thecopy medium is removed from the opening, thus involving no problem. Onthe other hand, in the case of large-sized copy medium, sheets of copymedium may not be accumulated on the fixed tray but they are dischargedoutside the machine through the folded tray and through the dischargeopening of the machine body to avoid blocking the copy medium in thevicinity of the opening. Accordingly, the present invention overcomesthe disadvantages noted above with respect to prior arts and provides asafe and convenient copy medium receiving tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 4 illustrate an embodimentof a conventional folding type tray;

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a copy mediumreceiving tray in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of a folding type copymedium receiving tray in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A An embodiment of the presentinvention will be further described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In FIGS. 2 and 3 one form of a tray in accordance with-thepresent invention is shown. The rotatable tray shown in FIG. 2 isdisposed in a position to accumulate thereon sheets of large-sized copymedium. The fixed tray, shown in FIG. 3 in a state where theabove-mentioned rotatable tray is folded, is disposed in a position toaccumulate thereon sheets of small-size copy medium.

As shown in FIG. 2, the copy medium receiving adjacent discharge opening6 provided in a body 5 of apparatus for forming an image on a copymedium. This tray roughly comprises a mount portion 7, a fixed trayportion 8, and a movable tray portion 9 which is adjustable to form anextension of the fixed tray portion 8. The

mount portion 7 is secured to the body 5, and the fixed tray portion 8,having the length about one half of full length of the tray, is upwardlyobliquely mounted on the mount portion 7. The rotatable tray portion 9has the remaining length, and has that is, about one half of the fulllength, a side wall 9 extending to the mount portion 7. A pin 10disposed adjacent the discharge opening on the side wall 9 of therotatable tray is received in a long hole 11 made in the mount portion7, the rotatable tray portion 9 being rotated on said pin 10, andrequiring a counterclockwise turning effort. A cam pin 12 similarlydisposed on the side wall 9 of the rotatable tray impinges upon astopper 14 at one end of a pin guide surface 13 of the mount portion 7to hold the rotatable tray portion 9 in a posture substantially parallelto the fixed tray portion 8. In this case, a moderate offset is formedbetween the fixed tray portion 8 and the rotatable tray portion 9. Inusing the copy medium receiving tray in a state as just described above,

3 where sheets of small-sized copy medium A are processed by themachine, the sheets of copy medium A may be accumulated only on thefixed tray portion 8 with their rearmost ends uniformly arranged, andeven when the sheets of copy medium A are taken out, the foremost endsof the accumulated copy medium A may readily be caught due to theprovision of the offset formed between the fixed tray portion 8 and therotat able tray portion 9. On the other hand, where sheets oflarge-sized copy medium B are used, the sheets of copy medium A may beaccumulated across the fixed tray portion 8 and rotatable tray portion 9with their rearmost ends uniformly arranged.

The tray according to the present invention may be folded as shown inFIG. 3 in a manner such that a foremost end 9 of the rotatable trayportion 9 is first raised, whence the pin 12 is slipped, about the pin10, on the pin guide surface 13 which constitutes a cam surface, and therotatable tray portion 9 is rotated clockwise in the drawing. When therotatable tray portion 9 is rotated to a position substantially parallelto the body 5, the pin 12 is dropped and set in a groove 15 formed inone end of the pin guide surface 13 by the weight of the rotatable trayportion 9. The long hole 1 1 made inthe mount portion 7, in which thepin 10 is received, is provided to allow such a vertical movement asjust mentioned. F168. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of the trayaccording to the present invention. In FIG. 5, there is formed in thetray 1 an opening 21, which has its width greater than the width of amaximum size of copy medium to be used. The opening 21 is in a portionof the tray disposed in alignment with the discharge opening when thetray 1 is folded. Accordingly, if the copying operation should be madein a state with the tray 1 folded, the copy medium discharged throughthe discharge opening 4 passes through the opening 21 and drops onto afloor on which the copying machine is installed, whereby the copy mediumis prevented from being blocked at the discharge opening 4.

Further, dropping of the copymedium on the floor 5 calls attention ofthe operator to the fact that the tray is not in a normal position.

On the other hand, the center of rotation 3 of the tray 1 is generallyprovided close to the discharge opening 4 and as a result, the opening21 is also provided in a position close to the center of rotation 3. Theforemost end of the copy medium discharged from the discharge opening 4comes into contact with the tray in a position somewhat apart from thecenter of rotation 3. For this reason, even though the tray 1 has theopening 21 positioned close to the center of rotation 3, the openingdoes not impede the trays function of accumulating sheets of copymedium.

While the described embodiment provides the opening 21, it is to beunderstood that a cut 22 such as shown in FIG. 7 may also be employed inplace of the opening 21, without losing a practical effect at all.

We claim:

1. In a copying machine having an opening through which processed copymedium sheets are discharged, an improved copy medium receiving traycomprising a fixed tray portion for accumulating discharged sheets ofcopy medium, and a movable tray portion rotatable on an axis disposedadjacent the discharge opening of the copying machine, said movable trayportion being rotatable to a first position for providing an extensionof said fixed tray portion for accumulating discharged copy mediumsheets, and to a second position wherein it is in a folded conditionalongside the machine, said movable tray portion having an openingtherein disposed in alignment with the discharge opening of the machinewhen said movable tray portion is in said second position to permitrotation of said movable tray portion between said first and secondpositions without blocking the discharge of copy sheets from thedischarge opening of the machine.

2. The copy medium receiving tray according to claim 1 furthercomprising a mounting plate having a cam surface, a cam follower pinattached to said rotatable tray portion near the axis of rotationthereof for movement along said cam surface to guide the rotation ofsaid rotatable tray between said first and second positions.

3. In a copying machine having an opening through which processed copymedium sheets are discharged, the improvement comprising: a copy mediumreceiving tray rotatably mounted adjacent the copy medium dischargeopening of the copying machine, said tray having a first position toaccumulate sheets of copy medium discharged from said machine and asecond position wherein it is in a folded condition alongside saidmachine, and said tray having an opening therein disposed in alignmentwith said discharge opening in the machine when said tray is in saidsecond position to permit copy medium discharge when said tray is ineither of said first and second positions.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,912,389 Dated October 14, 1975 l v KOICHI MIYAMOTO It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below: I

Column 2, Line 54, delete "and'has";

Line 55, after "length," insert and has.

Column 3, Line 21, after "position" insert -alongside the machine and-'.

Signed and Sealed this twenty- D ay 0f January 1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH CJMASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner ofPatentsand Trademarks UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIQNPatent No. 3,912,389 Dated October 14, 1975 It is certified that errorappears in the above-identified patent Q and that said Letters Patentare hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, Line 54, delete "and'has";

Line 55, after "length," insert and has.

Column 3, Line 21, after "position" insert alongside the machine and'.

Bigncd and fizalcd thus twenty-seventh D y of January1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH c. MASON c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Office Commissioner of Patentsand Trademark

1. In a copying machine having an opening through which processed copymedium sheets are discharged, an improved copy medium receiving traycomprising a fixed tray portion for accumulating discharged sheets ofcopy medium, and a movable tray portion rotatable on an axis disposedadjacent the discharge opening of the copying machine, said movable trayportion being rotatable to a first position for providing an extensionof said fixed tray portion for accumulating discharged copy mediumsheets, and to a second position wherein it is in a folded conditionalongside the machine, said movable tray portion having an openingtherein disposed in alignment with the discharge opening of the machinewhen said movable tray portion is in said second position to permitrotation of said movable tray portion between said first and secondpositions without blocking the discharge of copy sheets from thedischarge opening of the machine.
 2. The copy medium receiving trayaccording to claim 1 further comprising a mounting plate having a camsurface, a cam follower pin attached to said rotatable tray portion nearthe axis of rotation thereof for movement along said cam surface toguide the rotation of said rotatable tray between said first and secondpositions.
 3. In a copying machine having an opening through whichprocessed copy medium sheets are discharged, the improvemeNt comprising:a copy medium receiving tray rotatably mounted adjacent the copy mediumdischarge opening of the copying machine, said tray having a firstposition to accumulate sheets of copy medium discharged from saidmachine and a second position wherein it is in a folded conditionalongside said machine, and said tray having an opening therein disposedin alignment with said discharge opening in the machine when said trayis in said second position to permit copy medium discharge when saidtray is in either of said first and second positions.